Los vínculos entre el comercio y el desarrollo sostenible en la agricultura de Centroamérica

The report assesses the intersection of trade and sustainable development in Central American agriculture, focusing on the constraints imposed by the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and the potential for 'green' preferences. It provides detailed environmental impact matrices for key crops and livestock, highlighting a high reliance on agrochemicals and a lack of state incentives for sustainable conversion. The authors argue that while trade liberalization is a necessary condition, it is insufficient without comprehensive institutional investment, technological innovation, and a strategic shift toward sustainable production to ensure long-term rural development and environmental health.

• The European Union used environmental concerns as a negotiating tool in the Doha Round to maintain its internal agricultural subsidies, specifically through 'Green Box' payments, while resisting the dismantling of export subsidies.
• Central American countries generally lack the financial resources to utilize the domestic support mechanisms permitted by the WTO, and most (except Costa Rica) did not calculate a Total Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS), effectively limiting their legal ability to provide distorting internal aid.
• Agricultural exports from Central America are characterized by low value-added and a high dependency on preferential treatment from the US and EU, rather than genuine competitiveness.
• The banana and melon sectors are identified as having the highest consumption of pesticides in the region, with melon usage potentially exceeding 45 tonnes of active ingredient per hectare per year and banana exceeding 35 tonnes.
• The burning of sugarcane before harvest is a critical environmental negative, primarily due to the high release of carbon dioxide and the destruction of soil cover and fauna.
• The report proposes a 'Green General System of Preferences' (SIGPREVERDE) for developing countries to incentivize organic and sustainable agriculture through tariff reductions and non-tariff advantages, bypassing the 'product-process' dilemma of the WTO.
• There is a significant gap between the abundance of environmental legislation in Central America and its actual enforcement, leading to continued environmental degradation.
• Projections for the livestock sector suggest that increasing productivity (1% for beef, 2% for dairy) and investment could turn the region from a net importer to an exporter of meat and dairy by 2020.
• The 'Green Box' of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture is identified as the most viable legal mechanism for Central American governments to support sustainable agriculture, provided they can secure funding.
• The use of Methyl Bromide in melon cultivation is highlighted as a critical negative impact on the atmosphere due to its role in ozone layer depletion.

APA

Murillo, C., Pomareda, C., Arce, R., Campos, A., Hernández, G., Valverde, M., & Zamora, R. (2004). Los vínculos entre el comercio y el desarrollo sostenible en la agricultura de Centroamérica. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_es.pdf

Chicago

Murillo, Carlos, Carlos Pomareda, Randall Arce, Adriana Campos, Greivin Hernández, Max Valverde, and Rolando Zamora. Los vínculos entre el comercio y el desarrollo sostenible en la agricultura de Centroamérica. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2004. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murillo |first1=Carlos |last2=Pomareda |first2=Carlos |last3=Arce |first3=Randall |last4=Campos |first4=Adriana |last5=Hernández |first5=Greivin |last6=Valverde |first6=Max |last7=Zamora |first7=Rolando |title=Los vínculos entre el comercio y el desarrollo sostenible en la agricultura de Centroamérica |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2004 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murillo2004los, author = {Murillo, Carlos and Pomareda, Carlos and Arce, Randall and Campos, Adriana and Hernández, Greivin and Valverde, Max and Zamora, Rolando}, title = {{Los vínculos entre el comercio y el desarrollo sostenible en la agricultura de Centroamérica}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2004}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }